Love this Spirit of St. Louis turntable/cd/cassette combo. A birthday present from my Grandma many many years ago.

At first I thought this was just a decent collection of “lost” tracks, then I realized that it one of his finest albums. soul sleaze anthems from the most soulful white boy around.

I’ve probably listened to Lou Reed more than any other artist. I don’t know if I can give higher praise than that. A killer album in a long, long list of killer albums.

Grind/hardcore band from Ft. Smith Arkansas. Angry and punk as fuck. The 7″ on Slap a Ham is also essential.

Speaking of Slap a Ham, here’s a crucial split of power violence royalty. Maybe I’m a little biased being a VA boy, but Suppression deserve waaaaaay more recognition. One of my favorite bands from that era.

Classic debut from the smooth talking NOLA MC. The title track alone is worth the price of admission.

Post moody hardcore from DC, kind of like a crankier Fugazi. One of my favorite Dischord releases.

Mean, pulverizing grind from NOLA. Thanks to the Priapus boys for turning me on to this band! This shit is so sick!

This New Zealand band has been writing great songs for decades. If you even kind of like indie rock or lo-fi, then meet your new best friends.

Bulldozing metallic hardcore from Germany. Sort of like Rorshach’s “Protestant” LP sprinkled with “essence of Hanneman”.

I am just in awe of this band. The Nachos make other hardcore bands sound like a bunch of little sissies. Feel the hate.

New Pig Destoyer album “Book Burner” out now via Relapse Records on CD and LP.

this is the first “dark” record i ever owned. I was a kid when I heard the rain at the beginning of this classic album. It still inspires me! N.I.B. , the Wizard, Black Sabbath, Evil Woman. (to name a few). You know this record, and if you don’t, go fuck yourself! Ha Ha ! Anyways, the cover was banned in the U.S. , so it came out in the states a year late. released in 1969 (internationally) as a gatefold with an upside down cross inside! Released in U.S. in 1970 without cross and no gatefold. 😦 land of the free

2. Black Flag “Damaged”

From start to finish, the most intense record (without losing hooks and chorus’) ever made. I wish there was something new that would move me, the way this record does. I would be there biggest fan!

3. TurboNegro “Ass Cobra”

ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!! those who know, live it. those who don’t, learn it. you wont be sorry. I love it.

holy shit! pissed off and pissed on! ha ha GG forever! lyrics he wrote while in prison, his most angry record ever! Love the Jabbers stuff too! Gems: I’ll Slice your throat , Highest Power , Take Aim , Brutality and Bloodshed for All.

B-L-O-O-D-S-H-E-D Now!!!!!!

5. Cro-Mags “Age of Quarrel”

first saw this band with GBH at Fenders International Grand Ball Room. I was 14 or 15 years old and I can remember them elevating on stage! i was pretty young very high and also very moved by there music, so i was probably trippin’! all the same , this record kills! Please get this , if you don’t already know. WE GOTTA KNOW

6. Bad Brains “Rock for Light”

Fuck Yeah. We can ALL only wish to be as bad ass as Bad Brains.

7. Trash Talk “Shame”

The best band i’ve seen and heard in a long time. I choose “Shame” because it’s the “Walking Disease” 45 , “Plagues” 45, “Trash Talk S/T” album, and “East of Eden” 45 all on one LP. all the best stuff. also get “Eyes and Nines” LP. buy the records , go see them live. these guys are the best.

8. Ramones “Road to Ruin”

Yeah, yeah she’s the one!

still my favorite

9. Dwarves “Blood Guts and Pussy”

Going down to the drug store! I saw this lineup at the country club in Reseda. they played with the Melvins , Chemical People and headliners Poison Idea! Blag punched me in the face during the gem “Astro Boy” when i came back to hit him back he had jumped into the drums and they were done! I love this band so much , i joined them in 1993. been making records with them ever since!!!!!

This was my first peek at punk rock it changed my life!!!
Thanks to my older brother Art who was at The olympic Auditorium every other weekend in 83′. I was a lil too young to hit those early shows, but i got the music!!!

2. Little Richard…………….The Very Best of (?)

My favorite Vocalist of all time!!!!!
Not to mention Insane feel on the drums!! As well as being a MADMAN off stage, openly gay/Bi in the 50’s??? Wow that took balls!!!! Kudos to lil Richard!

3. The Who…………………..Live @ Leeds (MCA/Decca/Polydor)

A study in what playing LIVE is to me!!! When i play shows with
It’s Casual we actually have a Séance to channel Kieth Moon!!!!
And unlike houdini IT WORKS!!!!!

4. The Rolling Stones……..Exile on Main St. (Rolling Stones Records)

I can listen to this album for ever!!!!!!!

5. Missing Persons…………Spring Session M (Capitol)

I spent a couple years of my life learning this album “Note for note”
Yes i said it, “YEARS”!!!! LOL I was 15 but i did it!!!!
Still love it!

6. AC/DC……………………..Highway to Hell (Atlantic)

I have a Tattoo on my hand, It says WWBD.
What would Bon do?!!!!!!! THats how i live my life!!!!!
Malcome/Angus/phill/cliff =POWER!!!!!

7. Riot…………………………Fire Down Under (Elektra)

I was lucky enough to see the”Classic” RIOT line up at the troubadour. Me & My brother stole my pops truck to go to the see this show!!! He was awake when we got home. I had a prostitute with me. LOL!!! He hit me one time! Needless to say i never did that again!!

8. The Dwarves……………. Are Young and Good Looking (Epitaph)

Although my favorite Dwarves drummer Greg (Gregory Pecker) Seanz isn’t on this record it marked the transformation of this phenomenal band!!!! For sure one of my all time favorite live bands relentless!!!!!!!

9. Redd Kross……………….Nuerotica (Big Time Records)

In 1987 i thought playing the sunset strip was a great goal to have. So i started going to The Whiskey, Roxy etc….The first band i saw was REDD KROSS. I went home and realized the i sucked!!!! I practiced for another year or two before i played my first show, Via fake I.D.!!!!

10.Kiss…………………………ALIVE II (Casablanca)

Opening up Kiss ALIVE II Was CRAZY in 78′!!!!!! I was 9 years old
Between this album and Evel Knievel i knew i could do ANYTHING i wanted to do!!!!!!

You have been involved in one of the most prolific music scenes in the Western World. You have recorded and produced some of the most iconic Punk Rock/Rock n’ Roll songs in history and have gone on to have a well respected engineering career (hey, you did Meredith Brooks!). If you had to choose a sentence to reflect back upon all of this, how would you describe all that you have witnessed, been through and heard?

I am astounded that one of the most prolific music scenes in history was blackballed by the music industry and, like delta blues, very few of those bands or songs survived.

How exactly did you find your self in the middle of all of this and did you ever expect the LA scene to blow up like it did?

Well it was kind of by design. I came back to LA in 1975 all depressed at the state of the music scene. You see, I like loud music and weird music too. And the 60’s was over. So I tried starting a band with Charlotte Caffey (Go-Go’s), Joe Nanini (Wall Of Voodoo) and Tito Larriva (Plugz). This was about a year before punk broke. Shit, it turned out we couldn’t even find a place to play, all there were on the street were these singer-songwriter ‘showcases’ meaning free gigs where you couldn’t turn an amp past 1. So we got kicked out and got unplugged a lot. We circulated around the general neighborhood of Hollywood Boulevard and kept looking for the loudest music we could find. NADA. Well, one day Joe came home all excited and played us the Ramones and shortly after that one of us found the Sex Pistols. After that it was ON. Yes, I expected LA to blow up way further than it did, it was an incredibly creative scene and there were many talented bands. But the record companies ignored all this, right under their noses. I was a little older and realized that WE had to record it ourselves and that was why people like me started DIY recording.

Each single that you have produced seems to have a unique texture added into the mix? How do you approach and gauge what would be the most ideal sound for a band to be captured during a session?

I come from the old Robert Fripp King Crimson school of recording—push it into the RED. Back when people recorded on tape, this was an art of its own. You could decide how hot (loud) to record on tape and it would make the sound rubberier, like a basketball hitting the pavement. There were about 5 or 6 different ways of overloading it and each had a sound. So, since I was working with small home tape machines sometimes or very few channels—8 or 16—I had to do whatever I could to impart balls to these ferocious bands. You can’t just put up a mike, it would sound like its in a trash can and some of my recordings do sound pretty bad in retrospect. But I always tried to hide some production tricks in there to fatten them up. We actually QUADRUPLED Jello’s vocal on the chorus of ‘Holiday In Cambodia’ but it doesn’t sound that way, just terrifying and loud and manic and hilarious.

What do you like the most about doing what you do and how do you still keep yourself in the production game these days?

I like being the first person to hear an amazing song recorded. I don’t know why but that’s always been the motivation. It sure isn’t MONEY, if I add up all the hours I’ve worked with unknown bands and average them out, it’s like 15 cents an hour I actually did the math once. As far as working, I’ve always been there for the underground art scene and so It’s always been there for me. I still work cheap if I like the band, and now I do videos too, same Indie philosophy. I’ve built my new studio, CityLab in downtown LA, on mostly donations and volunteer work. I actually BEGGED for drywall on Facebook and got all sorts of friendly help. So its part trade and part cash and part me hustlin’ same as always.

Can you tell me a little bit about your activism regarding The Vortex and what the goals are of the organization are about and how people can get involved?

Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. I am a volunteer at a community center in Downtown LA, that’s where the new studio is going to open Jan 1. They offer event space to community groups or activist groups for next to nothing. I’m setting up the new studio so I can record and film events that happen there and sponsor meaningful art projects through my nonprofit foundation called Hyperactivists™. The best way for people to help out is to donate money or do volunteer work. They can do so by contacting me on Facebook, Just look up Geza X Gedeon and send a message. I also have an open community page as Geza X.

Working at my local record store I have encountered a numerous amount of people who share my passions and it makes me pleased that the turntable and it's sonic capabilities is still the choice for audio enjoyment for the masses.

In general, the purpose of this blog is for people to share their passion for HiFi equipment (analog or digital) via a contributory write up and a JPEG of what they're raving about, as well as a few titles they are currently listening too and would like to get the word out.

Digital person or analog person it doesn't matter. The subject of HiFi and what device is capable of reproducing the best sound is a subjective topic. Fact is, you still listen to music because you love it. Let's hear how you prefer to tune in, turn off and drop out.